1 Usage_Information ! The DECNET_MIGRATE utility provides system and network managers with functions to ease the transition from DECnet Phase IV to DECnet-Plus. These functions aid in: Interphase link creation Network configuration determination Network path determination NCL command creation To obtain the list of options for any command, type a question mark (?) at the end of the command line. This will list the available command options, and prompt you for the desired option (if any). ! 2 Invocation_and_Termination ! The DECNET_MIGRATE utility is normally invoked using the RUN command. It may also be invoked using a foreign command symbol. For example: $ RUN SYS$UPDATE:DECNET_MIGRATE !Invoke the utility $ DECNET_MIGRATE :== $SYS$UPDATE:DECNET_MIGRATE !Foreign command symbol $ DECNET_MIGRATE !Invoke the utility If a foreign command symbol is used, a command line may be passed directly to DECNET_MIGRATE on the invocation command line. For example: $ DECNET_MIGRATE EDIT NCL_COMMANDS.COM The EXIT command will cause DECNET_MIGRATE to terminate execution. The key combination may also be used. If a command was specified on the invocation command line, the utility will exit immediately after the command has been processed. ! 2 Network_Configuration_Information ! This function collects network configuration information on nodes that are currently accessible in the network, and creates a report from that information. This function consists of two steps. The first step is to collect the information into a data file, using the following command: COLLECT collection-file-name - [ROUTING_TYPE = { ALL | ROUTERS | L1_ROUTERS | L2_ROUTERS }] - [AREAS = { ALL | LOCAL | NODE:node-name }] - [NODES = node-list-file-name] - [STATUS = status-report-count] - [RETRY = connection-retry-count] The second step is to use the collected information to generate the desired report. This may be done multiple times for the same collected data. REPORT output-text-file-name [DATA = input-data-file-name] - [TYPES = { ALL | (node-type-list)}] - [ROUTING_TYPE = { ALL | ROUTERS | L1_ROUTERS | L2_ROUTERS }] - [AREAS = { ALL | LOCAL | NODE:node-name }] - [INFORMATION = { ALL | BASIC | (info-list) }] - [FORMAT = { FULL | BRIEF }] - The node types that can be specified in "node-type-list" are OSI, PHASE_IV, and PHASE_III. If more than one is specified, they must be contained in parentheses and separated by commas. The information types that can be specified in "info-list" are ADJACENCIES, CIRCUITS, ROUTING, APPLICATIONS, and AREAS. If more than one is specified, they must be contained within parentheses and separated by commas. ! 2 Network_Path_Information ! This function displays the paths that node-to-node communication may take through the network. This allows you to determine what effect the transition from Phase IV to DECnet-Plus has had on the network's communication paths. SHOW PATH - [FROM = {node-name | osi-net | osi-area | ph4-addr | ph4-area }] - [TO = {node-name | osi-net | osi-area | ph4-addr | ph4-area }] - [FORMAT = { BRIEF | FULL }] - [OUTPUT_FILE = output-file-name] The first and last nodes in the path can be specified using either DECdns full names, Phase IV synonym names, OSI network entity titles (NETs), OSI network areas, Phase IV addresses, or Phase IV areas. If an area is specified, the first node found in that area will be used. If FROM is not specified, the first node is assumed to be the local node. If TO is not specified, the last node is assumed to be the local node. You must specify at least one of these (they cannot both be defaulted). If more than one path can be found between the specified nodes, all paths will be displayed. ! 2 Interphase_Link_Setup ! This function creates a DCL command file, with two secondary NCL command files, that may be used to create or delete interphase link entries in the reachable address table of a DECnet-Plus Level 2 Router that must route messages between a DECnet-Plus level 2 network and a DECnet Phase IV level 2 network. CREATE IPL_INITIALIZATION_FILE command-file-name FOR router-node-name Executing the resulting command file allows the target router to send routing information to Level 2 routers using either the DECnet-Plus or DECnet Phase IV routing protocols (link state and routing vector, respectively) at level 2. The target router's reachable address table will have "outbound" entries created for all areas that are reachable through the adjacent routers that are running the DECnet Phase IV routing vector protocols at level 2. The target router's reachable address table will also have "inbound" entries created for all areas that are currently reachable through the DECnet-Plus link state level 2 network. Every DECnet-Plus Level 2 Router that has interphase links should have its reachable address table updated whenever the Level 2 network configuration changes. ! 3 Singly_and_Multiply_Connected_Subnetworks ! The generally recommended network configuration for use of interphase links is one where only one circuit exists between a subnetwork running the DECnet-Plus link state protocols at level 2 and a subnetwork running the DECnet Phase IV routing vector protocols at level 2. The major disadvantage of this configuration is that it provides a single point of failure between the subnetworks. An example of this type of configuration might be as follows. +--------------------+ +------------------------+ |Link State L2 router| |Routing Vector L2 router| | Area 1 | | Area 4 | +--------------------+ +------------------------+ | | +--------------------+ Circuit running +------------------------+ |Link State L2 router|- - - - - - - - - -|Routing Vector L2 router| | Area 2 | Interphase Links | Area 5 | +--------------------+ +------------------------+ | | +--------------------+ +------------------------+ |Link State L2 router| |Routing Vector L2 router| | Area 3 | | Area 6 | +--------------------+ +------------------------+ It is possible to use a configuration such as that shown below in order to provide communication path redundancy between the subnetworks. However, this may produce problems under some circumstances. +--------------------+ Circuit running +------------------------+ |Link State L2 router|- - - - - - - - - -|Routing Vector L2 router| | Area 1 | Interphase Links | Area 4 | +--------------------+ +------------------------+ | | +--------------------+ Circuit running +------------------------+ |Link State L2 router|- - - - - - - - - -|Routing Vector L2 router| | Area 2 | Interphase Links | Area 5 | +--------------------+ +------------------------+ | | +--------------------+ +------------------------+ |Link State L2 router| |Routing Vector L2 router| | Area 3 | | Area 6 | +--------------------+ +------------------------+ This type of configuration can result in looping data. For example, if the lowest cost path from area 1 to area 5 is through area 4, and the circuits connecting area 4 to area 5 go down, messages from area 1 to area 5 will still be sent to area 4. This is because area 1 cannot detect the loss of connectivity between areas 4 and 5. The result will be that area 1 will send these messages to area 4 (lowest cost path to area 5), and area 4 will send them back to area 1 (only path to area 5). The messages will continue to loop between areas 1 and 4, using up bandwidth and network resources, until their lifetimes expire. This problem can be minimized by providing redundant or highly reliable paths between the areas within each subnetwork. ! 3 Simple_Configurations ! The simplest configuration that combines DECnet-Plus link state subnetworks connected to DECnet Phase IV routing vector subnetworks is one in which only two subnetworks are connected, with only one area in each subnetwork. For example: +----------+ Interphase +--------------+ |Link State| Link circuit|Routing Vector| |L2 router |- - - - - - -|L2 router | |in Area 1 | |in Area 2 | +----------+ +--------------+ In this case, no interphase links are required, since adjacent areas will automatically configure to each other. If either subnetwork contains more than one area, or if multiple subnetworks are interconnected, then interphase links must be created to provide routing information about the non-adjacent areas. ! 3 Complex_Configurations ! If your network configuration consists of multiple DECnet Phase IV routing vector subnetworks connected by DECnet-Plus link state subnetworks, you must run the CREATE IPL function multiple times on each DECnet-Plus link state level 2 router that needs interphase links. An example of this type of configuration might be: +--------------+ Interphase +----------+ +--------------+ |Routing Vector| Link circuit|Link State| |Routing Vector| |L2 router |- - - - - - -|L2 router | |L2 router | |in Area 1 | |in Area 3 | |in Area 5 | +--------------+ +----------+ +--------------+ | | | +--------------+ +----------+ Interphase +--------------+ |Routing Vector| |Link State| Link circuit|Routing Vector| |L2 router | |L2 router |- - - - - - -|L2 router | |in Area 2 | |in Area 4 | |in Area 6 | +--------------+ +----------+ +--------------+ If you use the CREATE IPL command only once for each target router, in area 3 first and area 4 second, the area 1 router will only be given routing information about areas 4 and 6, and not about area 5 (the area 1 router will already have information about areas 2 and 3). This is because area 3 does not yet have information about area 5, since this is a non-adjacent area. The area 6 router will, however, be given information on all areas in the network, because the area 4 router will have already been given information about area 2 from the area 3 interphase links. To rectify this, you must use the CREATE IPL command on the area 3 router a second time, so that it can pick up the new information that area 4 now has about area 5. The same is true for configurations that consist of multiple DECnet-Plus link state subnetworks connected by DECnet Phase IV routing vector subnetworks. For example: +----------+ Interphase +--------------+ +----------+ |Link State| Link circuit|Routing Vector| |Link State| |L2 router |- - - - - - -|L2 router | |L2 router | |in Area 1 | |in Area 3 | |in Area 5 | +----------+ +--------------+ +----------+ | | | +----------+ +--------------+ Interphase +----------+ |Link State| |Routing Vector| Link circuit|Link State| |L2 router | |L2 router |- - - - - - -|L2 router | |in Area 2 | |in Area 4 | |in Area 6 | +----------+ +--------------+ +----------+ Because there are many ways these types of configurations can be arranged, the simplest way to guarantee that all target routers have all required interphase links is to: 1) Use the CREATE IPL command on each router in turn, waiting approximately 15 minutes between using the resulting command file to create interphase links on one target router, and executing the CREATE IPL command against the next target router. The waiting period is intended to help guarantee that routing information resulting from the newly created interphase links is fully propagated throughout the network. A period of 15 minutes should be sufficient for even very large networks. 2) Do step 1 "n" times, where "n" is the number of routers that are to have interphase links created. ! 2 NCL_Command_Creation ! This allows you to convert NCP commands to the closest equivalent NCL commands, or to edit NCL commands using language sensitive editing capabilities. CONVERT DCL_FILE ncp-file [TO ncl-file] CONVERT NCP_FILE ncp-file [TO ncl-file] CONVERT COMMAND "ncp-command" EDIT ncl-file When converting commands, the conversion will generally not be complete, due to the differences between NCP and NCL. Some additional editing will be required before the NCL commands may be used. This is particularly true for entity names which may change between DECnet Phase IV and DECnet-Plus. These functions are provided mainly to help facilitate training in the use of NCL.